Penny Arcade: Fine Distinctions discussion

Here's the thread for our discussion of our Q2 2011 group read, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. Please be aware that there may be spoilers in this discussion. Reading begins April 1, 2011.

I'm just going to suggest to people that they should read Postscript to the Name of the Rose as it's really interesting to read it after having read the book. Eco is really very good when writing about his own writing.

So, has anyone else been reading this?

I love The Name of the Rose. The exploration of the scholastic method with Eco's own semiotic interests are just fascinating, and he still manages to produce really interesting and engaging characters and a good narrative. I love the fact that it's also a good old-fashioned detective novel, in some ways, with the additional interest of the medieval setting (which always brings me back to Cadfael and Gil Cunningham books - medieval detective books with a really good grasp of history).

Not that the book is perfect; sometimes I think Eco gets caught up in his theoretical interests and almost preaches a little from the book. I'm also aware that I'm reading a translation, and as awesome as William Weaver's translation is, it is not exactly what Eco wrote and there will be issues caused by the translation (something Eco himself talks about in Mouse or Rat?: Translation as Negotiation where he discusses issues that have arisen when his books have been translated into other languages and for different cultures).

Overall, I love Eco's writing, both in his fiction and non-fiction writing. Rose was the first book I ever read by him and it still is my favourite, both for the style and the substance.